Mississippi River waters begin to recede north of St. Louis

Mississippi River waters begin to recede north of St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – Water levels on the Mississippi River are dropping north of St. Louis after high waters forced road and ferry closures.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that in the hardest-hit communities, floodwater crested over the weekend at almost nine feet above flood stage. Hannibal saw the Mississippi River reach about 8.8 feet above flood stage, although it was spared property damage. Water levels hit 8.1 feet above the mark at Clarksville.

Flooding was less severe farther south. National Weather Service meteorologist Jayson Gosselin characterized it as “above moderate” in Winfield and Grafton, Illinois, and “minor” in Alton, Illinois, and St. Louis.

Illinois Department of Transportation reported that Brussels Ferry, which crosses the Illinois River near Grafton, was closed because of high water. Dozens of roads also are closed.
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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com